The Sandman is an American fantasy drama television series based on the 1989–1996 comic book written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics. The series was developed by Gaiman, David S. Goyer, and Allan Heinberg for the streaming service Netflix and is produced by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television. Like the comic, The Sandman tells the story of Dream / Morpheus, the titular Sandman. The series stars Tom Sturridge as the title character, with Boyd Holbrook, Vivienne Acheampong, and Patton Oswalt in supporting roles.
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- Genre
- Fantasy drama
- Supernatural horror
- Based on
- The Sandman
- by Neil Gaiman
- Sam Kieth
- Mike Dringenberg
- Developed by
- Neil Gaiman
- David S. Goyer
- Allan Heinberg
- Starring
- Tom Sturridge
- Boyd Holbrook
- Vivienne Acheampong
- Patton Oswalt
- Music by David Buckley
- Country of origin United States
- Original language English
- No. of seasons 1
- No. of episodes 11
- Production
- Executive producers
- Allan Heinberg
- David S. Goyer
- Neil Gaiman
- Mike Barker
- Producers
- Samson Mücke
- Iain Smith
- Alexander Newman-Wise
- Andrew Cholerton
- Production location United Kingdom
- Cinematography
- Will Baldy
- George Steel
- Sam Heasman
- Editors
- Daniel Gabbe
- Shoshanah Tanze
- Jamin Bricker
- Kelly Stuyvesant
- Running time 37–64 minutes
- Production companies
- PurePop Inc.
- The Blank Corporation
- Phantom Four
- DC Entertainment
- Warner Bros. Television
- Budget $15 million (per episode)[1]
- Original release
- Network Netflix
- Release August 5, 2022 –
- present
Efforts to adapt The Sandman to film began in 1991 but floundered in development hell for many years. In 2013, Goyer pitched a film adaptation of the series to Warner Bros. Goyer and Gaiman were set to produce alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who was planned to star and possibly direct. However, Gordon-Levitt exited over creative differences in 2016. Due to the prolonged development of the film, Warner Bros. shifted its focus to television. Netflix signed a deal to produce the series in June 2019, and filming lasted from October 2020 to August 2021.
The Sandman premiered on August 5, 2022, with 10 episodes available immediately. An additional episode became available on August 19. In November 2022, it was renewed for a second season. The series has received generally positive reviews from critics with praise going towards the casting, production design, costumes, faithfulness to its source material, visual effects, and performances.
Premise
Morpheus, the personification of dreams and one of the seven Endless, is captured in an occult ritual in 1916. After being held captive for 106 years, Dream escapes and sets out to restore order to his realm, the Dreaming.[2]
Cast
Further information: List of The Sandman characters
Main
Tom Sturridge as Lord Morpheus / Dream, the personification of dreams and nightmares and the ruler of the Dreaming.[3][4]
Sturridge also voiced Dream's black cat counterpart in "Dream of a Thousand Cats".
Boyd Holbrook as the Corinthian (season 1), a nightmare who escaped the Dreaming.[3]
Vivienne Acheampong as Lucienne, the librarian of the Dreaming and its caretaker in Dream's absence.[4][3]
Patton Oswalt as the voice of Matthew the Raven, Dream's emissary, who was a human until he died in his sleep and reincarnated as a raven by Lucienne.[5][6]
Co-starring
David Thewlis as John Dee, Cripps's and Burgess's son whose endeavor to find "truth" jeopardizes the world. Gaiman described Dee as a character "who could break your heart and keep your sympathy while taking you into the darkest places".[5][6]
Jenna Coleman as Johanna Constantine, an occult detective. Coleman plays two versions of the character: the present-day descendant based on John Constantine and her identical eighteenth-century ancestor, Lady Johanna Constantine.[5][6][7]
Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer Morningstar, the ruler of Hell. This series' incarnation of Lucifer is much closer to the character's original depiction in the comics than his depiction in the 2016 Lucifer television series. Neil Gaiman noted that it would be difficult to reconfigure the Lucifer version (portrayed by Tom Ellis) so he would fit back into The Sandman.[3][8]
Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death, the personification of death and Dream's kinder, wiser older sister.[5][6]
Ferdinand Kingsley as Hob Gadling, Dream's friend who has lived for hundreds of years[9]
Sandra James-Young as Unity Kinkaid (season 1), Rose's benefactor and great-grandmother who has recently awakened from a century-long slumber[5][6]
Kyo Ra as Rose Walker, a young woman searching for her lost brother who becomes a prey of the Corinthian.[5][6][10]
Razane Jammal as Lyta Hall, Rose's friend and a widow mourning her husband.[5][6]
Melissanthi Mahut as Calliope, Homer's muse and Dream / Morpheus's ex-wife.
Arthur Darvill as Richard "Ric" Madoc, a struggling author who imprisons Calliope against her will.
Recurring
Joely Richardson as Ethel Dee (née Cripps) / Madame Daudet, Burgess's mistress and the mother of John Dee[5][6] (season 1)
Niamh Walsh as young Ethel Cripps[5] (season 1).
Nina Wadia as the Fate Mother
Souad Faress as the Fate Crone
Dinita Gohil as the Fate Maiden
Gianni Calchetti as the Death Stalker, a serial killer.
Asim Chaudhry as Abel, a resident of the Dreaming based on the biblical Abel[3][4]
Sanjeev Bhaskar as Cain, a resident of the Dreaming and Abel's brother based on the biblical Cain[3][4]
Mason Alexander Park as Desire, the personification of desire and Morpheus' sibling[5][6]
Cassie Clare as Mazikeen of the Lilim, a devoted ally of Lucifer Morningstar.
John Cameron Mitchell as Hal Carter, Rose's friend and host of the bed and breakfast. Hal also moonlights as a drag queen and cabaret performer.
Stephen Fry as Gilbert / Fiddler's Green (season 1), a dream who appears in the form of a mysterious gentleman and becomes Rose's bodyguard.[5][6]
Mark Hamill as the voice of Mervyn Pumpkinhead, a chain-smoking janitor with a jack-o'-lantern for a head.[11]
Donna Preston as Despair, the personification of despair, Morpheus' sister, and Desire's twin[5][6]
Lloyd Everitt as Hector Hall (season 1), Lyta's deceased husband whose ghost hides from Death in The Dreaming.
Eddie Karanja as Jed Walker, Rose's younger brother and the ward of Gault who protects him from his abusive foster parents via The Dreaming.
Andi Osho as Miranda Walker, Unity's granddaughter and Jed and Rose's mother.
Ann Ogbomo portrays Gault's true form who seeks to become a Dream while protecting children from abuse.
Cara Horgan and Daisy Badger as Chantal and Zelda, guests at Hal's B&B.
Lily Travers and Richard Fleeshman as Barbie and Ken, guests at Hal's B&B.
Sam Hazeldine and Lisa O'Hare as Barnaby and Clarice, Jed's foster parents. Barnaby is physically abusive towards Jed and terrifies Clarice into compliance.
Kerry Shale, Danny Kirrane, and Jill Winternitz as Nimrod, Fun Land, and The Good Doctor (season 1), a trio of serial killers.
Lenny Henry as the voice of Martin Tenbones, a magical, dog-like creature who appears in the dreams of Barbie.[12]
Guest
Bill Paterson as Dr. John Hathaway (season 1)
Laurie Kynaston as Alex Burgess, Roderick Burgess' son (season 1)
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as young Alex Burgess (season 1)
Benedick Blythe as older Alex Burgess (season 1)
Charles Dance as Sir Roderick Burgess / Magus (season 1), an aristocratic occultist.[3]
Meera Syal as Erica, a vicar known as "Ric the Vic" who seeks out Johanna Constantine's help with a demonic possession.
Claire Higgins as Mad Hettie, a 280-year-old homeless woman and acquaintance of Johanna Constantine
Sarah Niles as Rosemary, a good Samaritan woman who helps John retrieve his ruby.
Martyn Ford as Squatterbloat, a demon
Munya Chawawa as Choronzon, a demon-duke of Hell
Deborah Oyelade as Nada, a prehistoric African queen who was once romantically involved with Morpheus
Ernest Kingsley Jnr as Kai'ckul, an aspect of Dream seen through the eyes of Nada.
Sam Strike as Todd
Emma Duncan as Bette Munroe (season 1), a waitress and one of John Dee's victims
Steven Brand as Marsh Janowski (season 1), a diner staff and one of John Dee's victims
Laurie Davidson as Mark Brewer (season 1), a diner guest and one of John Dee's victims
Daisy Head as Judy (season 1), a diner guest and one of John Dee's victims
James Udom as Garry (season 1), a diner guest and one of John Dee's victims
Lourdes Faberes as Kate Fletcher (season 1), a diner guest and one of John Dee's victims
Samuel Blenkin as Will Shaxberd, an aspiring playwright.
Ian McNeice as a bartender
Ben Wiggins as Carl, Rose's friend and house-sitter.
Lewis Reeves as Philip Sitz (season 1), a man pretending to be "The Boogieman".
Roger Allam as the voice of Lord Azazel, a Duke of Hell.
Peter de Jersey as Mr. Haldewell, Unity Kincaid’s solicitor
Derek Jacobi as Erasmus Fry (season 1), a writer of Greek mythology and the original captor of Calliope.
The animated episode "Dream of a Thousand Cats" features the voices of Sandra Oh as the Cat Prophet, Rosie Day as the Tabby Kitten, David Gyasi as the Grey Cat, Joe Lycett as the Black Cat, Neil Gaiman as the Skull Crow, James McAvoy as the Golden-Haired Man, David Tennant as Don, Georgia Tennant as Laura Lynn, Michael Sheen as Paul, Anna Lundberg as Marion, Nonso Anozie as the Wyvern, Diane Morgan as the Gryphon, and Tom Wu as the Pegasus.
